Catch wieners, women, Warhol and weirdos when the American Essentials Film Festival rolls into town

You know how the old song goes – America, f*** yeah! Jokes aside, it’s hard to deny that the US of A is a very serious global leader on many fronts, particularly when it comes to culture. Like it or not, the American influence is everywhere – from the burger bar around the corner to our favourite shows on Netflix. So why not embrace it? The American Essentials Film Festival is coming to the Palace Centro Cinemas from May 17–28, bringing with it a swag of flicks that cover everything from body horror to the unifying power of sausage dogs.

Straddling all manner of styles from thriller to melodrama, symphonic documentary to visual art and everything in between, American Essentials Film Festival boasts a truly world-class program. The 31 films on show have been thoughtfully curated by Artistic Director Richard Sowada to reflect the thrilling scope of contemporary independent cinema produced in the U.S., and there are some real gems to be discovered. Highlights of the 15 brand-new narrative features start strong with the opening night film 20th Century Women, Oscar-winning director Mike Mills’ moving tale of a mother doing her best to bring up a teenage son starring Annette Bening and Greta Gerwig. Also mark your diary for romantic magical realism debut Are We Not Cats, plus wilderness drama Walking Out, the lean and mean thriller Detour, and Ewan McGregor’s directorial debut, an adaptation of Philip Roth’s sprawling epic American Pastoral.

As well as an awesome selection of restored classics as shown in the Masters & Masterpieces program, American Essentials is also bringing a very tasty selection of 20 works that will be premieres for Australian audiences. These films have been drawn directly from A-list international film circuit including the Sundance, SXSW and Toronto film festivals. Most of the titles are coming to our shores only a matter of weeks after their world premieres – talk about fresh content!

If this has got you craving a dose of Americana, you can pick up tickets to the American Essentials Film Festival through the official website.